Sheffield United have retained Nigerian-born forwards Christian Nwachukwu and Ehije Ukaki after announcing their retained and released list following the end of the 2025-2026 season.

The club also kept Femi Seriki, who featured in 38 Championship matches this season and finished with one goal and six assists. For Sheffield United, the decisions draw a line under a campaign in which all three players spent time away from Bramall Lane, but remain part of the club's plans heading into the next season.

Nwachukwu joined Sheffield United from Botev Plovdiv in February 2025 and spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Serikspor, where he made eleven league appearances, scored once and added two assists. He was named in a Sheffield United matchday squad only once, against Derby County in November 2025, and is still waiting to make his senior debut for the club. His contract runs until June 2027.

Ukaki's path was more stop-start. He made his only senior appearance for Sheffield United against Birmingham City in August 2025, received four call-ups for official matches before leaving on loan to Atromitos in the January transfer window, and is tied to the club until June 2028. The retained list keeps both players on the books even after a season that gave each limited minutes in red and white.

The decision also reflects a broader squad reset after the season's finish, with the retained list serving as the club's line in the sand over who stays for next year and who moves on. Seriki's return as a retained player offers the clearest sign of continuity after an active Championship campaign, while the futures of Nwachukwu and Ukaki now sit with a club that has chosen to keep them in the picture.

The next question is whether that faith turns into regular first-team football, because for Nwachukwu and Ukaki, being retained is only the start. Both have contracts that outlast the summer, and Sheffield United have made clear they want to keep evaluating them rather than closing the book.